Finding a moisturiser was a mission I took on over 8 years ago…I remember scouring the internet, literally reading the ingredients of every single product out there.
It was so frustrating because so many moisturisers on the market contained oils that I refused to put anywhere near my acne-prone and super picky skin.
After trying countless products with varying results, I finally decided to try Bioderma.
I was already using the best cleansers my face ever experienced from Bioderma, so I thought that maybe, just maybe they’d also formulate a good moisturiser!
And I was right. At the time I tried the Bioderma Hydrabio Light Creme, from the Hydrabio range that was meant for dehydrated skin.
They have a range for acne-prone skin called Sebium, and a range for hyper-sensitive skin called Sensibio…
However, my skin at the time was extremely dehydrated as I was using a harsh cleanser from acne.org, plus Benzoyl Peroxide…My skin was parched and needed some serious moisture!
I gravitated towards the Hydrabio range because that’s what my skin needed!
Years later, after using the amazing Hydrabio Light Cream, Bioderma DISCONTINUED it.
I was going to implode just thinking about the struggle of finding the next product…However, Bioderma didn’t leave me hanging.
Instead, they created another moisturiser in the same range called the Hydrabio Gel-Creme (Light Moisturising Care).
And it was equally awesome!!!
This has been my go-to moisturiser since it’s come out about two years ago (I forget because time flies!).
I’ve gone through more than 7 tubes of these already, so I know if I kinda sorta like this product and if it’s worth recommending.
Product Details
This moisturiser comes in a convenient tube with a pump that actually works incredibly well. I have amazing control over how much product I want to come out, and I don’t waste a drop of this precious moisturiser.
The creme itself is very bouncy and voluminous in texture, it’s not too thick, but it isn’t watery or fluid at all.
I only use a drop and a half of this product to cover my whole face, to seal in moisture.
The Hydrabio Light Gel Cream absorbs wonderfully, leaving the skin
feeling supple and hydrated, without being covered with a film or anything.
If you want to know the philosophy behind moisturising properly, I suggest you pop over to this article so that you understand how to layer moisture properly to avoid flakes all year round.
Ingredients
I look for moisturisers that are oil-free and that contain humectants and emollients, and in this case…The ingredient lineup is pretty stellar.
AQUA/WATER/EAU, GLYCERIN, ISODODECANE, CYCLOPENTASILOXANE, DIPROPYLENE GLYCOL, NIACINAMIDE, SQUALANE, POLYMETHYLSILSESQUIOXANE, C14-22 ALCOHOLS, HDI/TRIMETHYLOL HEXYLLACTONE CROSSPOLYMER, AMMONIUM ACRYLOYLDIMETHYLTAURATE/VP COPOLYMER, C30-45 ALKYL CETEARYL DIMETHICONE CROSSPOLYMER, CARBOMER, PENTYLENE GLYCOL, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, C12-20 ALKYL GLUCOSIDE, STEARETH-21, DISODIUM EDTA, SALICYLIC ACID, SODIUM HYDROXIDE,COMPLEXE BREVETÉ D.A.F, HEXYLDECANOL, PEG/PPG-18/18 DIMETHICONE, MALACHITE EXTRACT, PYRUS MALUS (APPLE) SEED EXTRACT, BRASSICA CAMPESTRIS (RAPESEED) STEROLS, TOCOPHEROL, FRAGRANCE (PARFUM). [BI 714]
The standout hydrating ingredients are water, glycerin, and squalene.
Glycerin is a pretty good humectant, while squalene is a very nice emollient that seals in moisture but also makes the skin feel very smooth.
As you can see, these ingredients come are among the first 7 in the ingredient lineup, which means that there is more of these ingredients in the product than all the other ones.
Niacidimide For Acne-Prone Skin
Another standout ingredient is Niacidiminde, otherwise known as vitamin B3. Niacidimide is a star ingredient for acne-prone, sensitive, aging skin, and even rosacea because it strengthens the skin’s structure and has anti-inflammatory effects!
This study showed an 82% decrease in acne of the patients treated with Niacidimide gel after 8 weeks.
As you can see, that’s a significant reduction in acne!
Another Japanese study showed that topical application of a 2% Niacidimide moisturiser lowered casual sebum level after 2 and 4 weeks of application on Caucasian patients, and lowered both casual sebum levels and sebum excretion rate in Japanese patients!
Other clinical studies have also shown Niacidimide to be effective on smoothing wrinkles, stimulating collagen production, getting rid of blotchiness and hyper pigmentation, and easing symptoms of rosacea!
Niacidimide is known as a cell-communicating agent — making it a super intelligent skincare ingredient that makes your skin cells behave like younger, healthier skin cells!
Final Thoughts
While most other moisturisers either just sat on my skin, clogged my pores, made my skin look more oily, this is one moisturiser that I truly stand behind.
So what’s better than one Bioderma Hydrabio Light Gel Cream? TWO! Nay, THREE!
I always have a backup of this moisturiser in case I run out, and now that my fiancé uses it, I actually need a third backup because he uses mine when HIS runs out!
I use it really sparingly just to seal in moisture, as I apply it to damp skin and after a hydrating serum.
TIP: Apply moisturiser to damp skin and then you only need a tiny amount, and it applies more smoothly without needing to tug at your skin. Be gentle with your skin, because tugging and pulling, and face massages just cause premature wrinkles.
Finally, I love that I can find Bioderma in pretty much every country I’ve ever been to! It’s in every local pharmacy, especially here in France! 🙂
Love,
Olena
